The Association Between Adolescent Residential Mobility and Adult Social Anxiety, BDNF and Amygdala-Orbitofrontal Functional Connectivity in Young Adults With Higher Education.

Gregor Hasler,Melanie Haynes,Christopher Ritter,Ruth Tuura,Sabrina Theresia Müller,Andreas Buchmann

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.561464

Abstract

Background: Large-scale epidemiological studies demonstrate that house moves during adolescence lead to an increase in anxiety and stress-sensitivity that persists into adulthood. As such, it might be expected that moves during adolescence have strong negative and long-lasting effects on the brain. We hypothesized that moves during adolescence impair fear circuit maturation, as measured by the connectivity between amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex, and expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).Methods: We examined young adults with middle and high economic status recruited from the community using clinical interviews, self-report questionnaires, functional magnetic resonance imaging during an emotional faces task and during a 10 min rest phase, and serum BDNF serum concentration.Results: Out of 234 young adults, 164 did not move between ages 10 and 16 (i.e., moves with change of school), 50 moved once, and 20 moved twice or more than twice. We found relationships between adolescent moving frequency and social avoidance (pcorr = 0.012), right amygdala-orbitofrontal cortex connectivity (pcorr = 0.016) and low serum BDNF concentrations in young adulthood (pcorr = 0.012). Perceived social status of the mother partly mitigated the effects of moving on social avoidance and BDNF in adulthood.Conclusions: This study confirms previous reports on the negative and persistent effects of residential mobility during adolescence on mental health. It suggests that these effects are mediated by impairments in fear circuit maturation. Finally, it encourages research into protecting factors of moving during adolescents such as the perceived social status of the mother.

Highlights

There is growing evidence that moves, or residential mobility, in childhood and adolescence increase the risk of external behaviors such as impulsive and risky behaviors, and internalizing problems such as stress sensitivity, anxious temperament, and social withdrawal [1]
A follow-up examination of the cohort revealed that mental health problems related to moving in adolescence persisted into adult life
In this study of young adults with an average education duration of 14 years, we found a positive relationship between moving during adolescence and social anxiety, anxiety symptoms as assessed with the Beck’s Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and low subjective status in adulthood

Summary

Introduction

There is growing evidence that moves, or residential mobility, in childhood and adolescence increase the risk of external behaviors such as impulsive and risky behaviors, and internalizing problems such as stress sensitivity, anxious temperament, and social withdrawal [1].The impact of residential mobility on child development varies with the age of the child. There is growing evidence that moves, or residential mobility, in childhood and adolescence increase the risk of external behaviors such as impulsive and risky behaviors, and internalizing problems such as stress sensitivity, anxious temperament, and social withdrawal [1]. A Danish national birth cohort study including 1.5 million participants examined moving during each age year between birth and 14 years [2]. It demonstrated that the association between moving and health problems increased with age of moving. A follow-up examination of the cohort revealed that mental health problems related to moving in adolescence persisted into adult life. Large-scale epidemiological studies demonstrate that house moves during adolescence lead to an increase in anxiety and stress-sensitivity that persists into adulthood. We hypothesized that moves during adolescence impair fear circuit maturation, as measured by the connectivity between amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex, and expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)

Methods

Results

Conclusion